There will probably still be plenty of hangovers in Hove following the clinching of the Divison Two title, even if Sussex fell at the semi final stage of the Blast. This success is the culmination of years of hard work with the young products of the Sussex Academy now producing the goods and only likely to get better. Head coach Paul Farbrace is no stranger to success and his signing of John Simpson in the off season has proved to be inspired. Not only has Simpson brought order to what at times could be a hot headed side, as demonstrated by the 12 penalty points suffered for poor conduct at the end of last season, but he has prospered on a personal front, reaching 1197 runs in the Championship. Many also questioned the recruitment of the relatively unknown Australian batter, Daniel Hughes as a replacement for Cheteshwar Pujara. This was Pujara’s third year at Hove, but was just signed for the first part of the season and he certainly did not let them down, making 501 runs at 62.62 in six Championship games. Hughes then arrived, primarily looking towards the Blast, but he also prospered in the Championship, scoring 340 runs at 56.66 in the four games he played. However it was the Blast in which he showed his true worth, ending as the leading run scorer in the competition.
Academy products Tom Haines and Jack Coles scored 819 and 707 Championship runs respectively, while Tom Alsop made 799. Coles also contributed 354 runs in the Blast, while Harrison Ward got the innings off to a fast start alongside Hughes, scoring 350 runs at a strike rate of 157.65.
Sussex benefited from the availability of Ollie Robinson throughout the summer and he will be pleased to have got through the season uninjured having played 12 of the 14 Championship fixtures, taking 39 wickets at 25.53. He also did an excellent job in the Blast, a format that he has not previously been renowned for, taking 18 wickets with an excellent economy rate of 6.96. In the Championship he was backed up by two excellent overseas signings in Jayden Seales and Jaydev Unadkat, Seales taking 24 wickets at 24.25 and Unadkat 22 wickets 14.40. It is those sort of figures that win you games.
Most of the other wickets have been taken by the spin duo of Jack Carson and James Coles. Carson continued his bid for higher honours with 50 Championship wickets at 22.46, while Coles supplemented his runs with 18 wickets at 35.66. Coles also performed well in the Blast, taking 20 wickets at an economy rate of 7.96.
Tymal Mills led the Sharks to finals day in the Blast, only for them to go down rather tamely to the eventual winners, Gloucestershire in the semi-final. However, they had not reached the quarter finals in the last two years and will feel that this is another sign of the maturing of the squad.
The only disappointment was in the One Day Cup, where they won just one game. They lost five of their T20 side to the Hundred, but this level of performance is difficult to explain. It might raise a slight concern regarding the depth of the squad.
Results
Vitality CC: Division Two Champions
Vitality Blast: Losing semi finalist
Metro Bank ODC: Ninth in Group B
Leading run-scorers
Vitality CC: John Simpson 1197 at 57.91
Vitality Blast: Daniel Hughes 596 runs at 39.73; Strike rate 167.88
Metro Bank ODC: Tom Haines 326 at 46.57; Strike rate 83.37
Leading wicket-takers
Vitality CC: Jack Carson 50 at 22.46
Vitality Blast: Tymal Mills 24 at 19.50; Economy rate 8.06
Metro Bank ODC: Henry Crocombe 10 at 25.00; Economy rate 5.03
Player of the season
John Simpson appears to have been the final piece in the jigsaw for Farbrace and he has performed as captain as well as on a personal level. Eight wins in the Championship is an excellent return and to come in to a new dressing room and harness the resources so quickly is a huge achievement. Clearly the bigger challenge may be to come as Sussex look to consolidate their position in Division One.
As well as his runs in the Championship he made useful contributions down the order in the Blast, accumulating 204 runs at a strike rate of 124.92.
Breakthrough Player
There has been no obvious player who has made a break this season, particularly with the lack of success the county had in the One Day Cup. However, if Sussex are to prosper in Division One they will be looking to the likes of 23-year-old pace bowler Henry Crocombe to push on. He made his Championship debut back in 2020 and has taken 69 wickets at 40.26 in his 36 first class matches so far. He only played four Championship games this season, but took 11 wickets at a very respectable 23.18, including the wicket to secure the bowling point that confirmed promotion. He was one of the few successes in the One Day Cup and will be hoping for more opportunities in 2025.
Could have done better
As has already been mentioned, the poor performance in the One Day Cup might suggest that the squad lacks depth. The Sussex Academy has been very productive in recent years and there are the likes of Bernie Foreman and Henry Rogers, who have been part of England under 19s, coming through.
Need to work on
It is difficult to be critical of a relatively small club that has developed and stuck with a group of young players who have gained them promotion, as well as taking them to finals day in the Blast. They do not have the depth in the squad of the big counties and will be hoping that key players stay fit.
What’s next?
The focus will be on staying up, while there will be a number of players in the squad who will be hoping that Division One cricket will further their aspirations for England recognition.
Season Rating
Everyone at Sussex should be very content with the results of their hard work.
Mark: 9/10
